Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-20
The Past, Present and Future OF the Re-
publican Party.

publican rarity.
EXTRACTS from Theodore Roosevet's speech
want to point out to you an involun-
tary compliment that is paid us by our
more recently acquired antagonists. They
always claim, when they say that we have
gone wrong that we have failed to live
up to the old republican standard When
the democrats do as they think right, as
the highest praise they can give them,
they say they have gone contrary to all
the traditions of their party.
"Now, we often hear it said, Let by
cones be bygones.' 1t is true that the
democracy pronounced the war failure
and fought on that issue in 1864 that
they wished to undo all we had fought
for, in 1868 that in 1872 they abandoned
even what shreds of principle they might
have had, and so on. But we are asked to
believe that this is all in the past, and that
we must pay attention purely to the pres
ent. We are requested, in other words, to
hire public servants whom they admit
have been assassins at one time, thieves at
another, murderers at a third, but who
now are leavened with the leaven OF re-
form Now, before we accept these demo-
Gratis as being the reformers that they are
painted to be by the smallest and most IN
fluential section of their allies think we
have right to examine pretty carefully
what they have done-how far their per
Torrance has equaled their promise.
I'VE are sometimes accused of too loud
~ insisting that the masses of the demo-
cratic party are, man for man. worse than
the masses of the republican party. Now,
in the first place, | will candidly say that
| think man for man, the average repub'
lcan compares very favorably with the
average democrat. On one occasion was
out shooting IN Ireland. We would drive
from place to place and stop every night
riable test by which could tell the poll
tics of the farmer. If the ratings were
dark and the pigs evinced tendency TO
go indoors the house invariably belonged
to conservative democrat If, on the
other hand, the farmer was thrifty one,
with normal number of panes OF glass
in the window, | found that he was dan
gerous and radical republican.
"All parties are composed of more than
the men that are in them. They are com
posed of more even than the principles
for which they at one time stand. party
is bundle of traditions, bundle OF ten
denotes There are certain, questions on
which the parties frequently do not com
nit themselves in their platforms, and on
any one of these questions, when it comes
up in legislative body, you will invaria-
bly, find that the great bulk of the men
who vote for the cause of interest are re
publicans that the great bulk OF those
who are traitors to their trust are demo-
Gratis.
"Now these statements are not reckless
in the least. | will take any set OF votes
in the New York Legislature for the past
six wears, and in Congress during the
same period of time, and will guarantee
that on the majority of these sets OF ques-
tions any decent and honest man Will say
IL. 81 nf ,-ifr Cnnnnrtp6
the majority of our party, that the cause
of wrong was championed by the majority
of our foes.
1--WE see now tendency, always OBJ
servable during the times when there are
no great issues before the public, for
smaller side organizations to spring up,
and for the old parties to more or less split
in pieces. There are three of these splits
or side parties that l should like to more
particularly allude to. These are move
ments of the prohibitionists, the labor
people and the independents. presume
that there is no question that, II none but
democratic and republican candidates
as solidly republican rs the South is dem
ocratic. think that there is no doubt
that, at the last election, had there been
no Mr. st. John and no Mr.. Butler, we
would now have republican president at
Washington. We have now to face the
living issues presented by these three
splits. think that we must show our
selves in the future ready, as we have
shown ourselves in the past, to meet fair
ly and squarely any issue presented.
And now we come to the independent
movement. First of all. gentlemen, it
would be blackly ungrateful of me not to
take this as the first opportunity have
had to express my warm and most hearty
thanks to those independents to whom
owe more than any other body of men,
excepting those | see before me tonight.
There are large number of men from
whom differ on national questions, who
have supported me individually, to whom
| shall never be able to show my apprecia'
ton of their acts, but whom, mad been
elected mayor, | certainly would have
tried to show how appreciated what they
had done in the only way in which 1t was
possible-by serving them and the city at
large faithfully and honestly.
at has been a most sincere grief to my
self. as we'll as to almost every other Re
publican, to part company with the bulk
of our independent friends. We recog-
nize that the bulk Of these independents
are as conscientious and honest men as
there are in the community. We disagree
with them in the step they have taken,
but we part from them in generous sor-
row and trust that some time later we
shall again unite. We recognize the good
they have done. Let me point out to these
gentlemen, even the best of them, that
en- of refuge for time, it is a little ridi
culous as a permanent abode. For the
majority of the Independents we have
nothing but the kindliest feelings and can
have nothing but the kindliest words.